Sithiss
by Zhpd2
Summary: [AU] Sithiss, an avian, was found by Sivir when she raided a tomb, but who exactly is he? Why was he entombed? Where did he come from? Are there more of his kind? He lost his memory, and with it, his origins. Will Sithiss be able to find out who he is by travelling through Valoran?
1. Welcome to Noxus

**Hello :)**

**Thanks for clicking on my fanfic, I hope you have a good time reading it. Now I've actually changed the first chapter since writing the second chapter didn't go so well. The thing is, writing about the league and the institute of war is boring. Damnably so. I've decided to follow Riot's decision in removing the league altogether, Sithiss can actually go out and do stuff this way instead of the mandatory judgment and league matches. This won't matter in the major plot in any way so I hope it's a better read this way. **

**Anyway, I hope you like it. Enjoy!**

**Edit: Minor chances**

* * *

The inn, a place where many a man or woman can relax by poisoning themselves, no questions asked. Sithiss found that he could meet the people, the actual people, of a state nowhere else than here. Here one could find the truth behind the stale facades that everyone put up in their everyday lives. But here, honesty filled the room as much as the stench of alcohol did. Here, secrets were laid bare, and there was nothing that Sithiss loved more than that.

But first, he needed a meal.

He pulled his hood closer over his head and took a seat at the bar. He had a rather peculiar appearance, an appearance that someone would remember forever, and that was the exact opposite of what he wanted. He may know little about the world and his past, but he did remember what he is. Being famous, or infamous for that matter, was bad for his field of work; it meant you did the job badly.

Two burly hands were placed on the bar in Sithiss' sight. "What'll you be having?" A rough voice asked.

Sithiss hadn't made himself some money in a while, and traveling costs an awful lot of it he had noticed soon enough. He simply had little to spend at the moment. "Whatever's on the cheap." He answered.

The bartender huffed. "If you ain't got money to spend, just piss off." He said folding his arms over one another to solidify his statement.

Sithiss just chuckled. "Damn, is this that Noxian hospitality I've been hearing about?"

Sithiss looked up slightly, making sure not to reveal his face, and took a good look at the man. He was a wimp; he only looked tougher than he is. He could beat him within an inch of his life if he wanted to, but he was simply too tired to really bother now.

Surprise in guy's eyes. "You're not from around here?"

There goes his mask of toughness, broken by a simple question. "Who cares?" Sithiss bit him. "Just go get my fucking food."

The bartender raised a brow, but then walked away grumbling.

Noxus was so different from any other place he'd been, it's like they cared for nothing. Whereas the Shurimans at least cared for money these guys just shoo away potential customers.

Sithiss turned around on his stool and eyed the room for any potential pickpocket victims. It was half-filled with loud chatter, laughter and the clinking of glasses against one another. A pub like any other, except most of the men were killers. Sithiss just knew, he could see it in their faces, in the way they carried themselves. It seemed no one would be an easy target. He decided against stealing today, he had enough money to last himself until at least the day after tomorrow, no need for it now.

A tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his train thought.

"Here's your meal."

A well filled stew. It looked however more like gravy with some vegetables that lost their way. But the smell at least, that was good, that alone was worth the wait.

He handed the bartender some money and started chewing away at his meal. It tasted better than it looked and it was actually pretty nice. He made a mental note to enjoy the little things in life some more and got to eating. He was in fact so enthralled in eating he didn't notice someone else had entered the bar, or it was more like that someone didn't quite want to be noticed.

A hooded figure much like Sithiss self seated a couple of stools next to him. Sithiss noticed the figure as soon as he was finished with eating.

It was woman.

The shoulders were too small for her to be man. Of course she could just as well be a slender guy, but the fact that she's hooded when all the men aren't solidified his conclusion.

Noxus, or so he was told, was a place where anyone could be a someone instead of a nobody, even women. Why then, did she hide herself? Why would she keep up a façade at the one place it mattered the least? Sithiss' interest was piqued.

He motioned the bartender and made him bring a drink to her, wine of course. If he was to spend money he'd better do it right. He had seen this trick before back in some pub in Shurima, he figured he couldn't go wrong with it.

The bartender did as asked, even polishing the glass some extra before filling it with the crimson red drink and put it before the hooded figure. "From that shady guy over there." He said pointing a finger at Sithiss, who huffed. _Smartass. _

She raised her head slightly and only nodded, making sure not to say a thing, then gazed at Sithiss, her face still obscured by a cowl. Her head tilted slightly to the side, as if confused. She probably wondering how he knew she was a woman.

Then she stood up, taking her drink with her and took place on the seat next to Sithiss who waited in anticipation. She seemed to hesitate for a second before finally saying something. "Do you know who I am?" Came resolutely. A woman's voice, Sithiss was right. He felt proud that he still hadn't lost it.

"I know you're someone who doesn't want to be seen here." He ventured. "But your name? No."

A relieved sigh came from her. "How'd you know?"

"Your shoulders."

"My shoulders?" A hint of surprise in her voice.

"It's hardly noticeable, but your shoulders are a tad smaller than those of a man."

She put her elbow on the bar and leaned with her head on her hand nonchalantly. "That so?" He could see her face more clearly now; her hair was red and she bore a clear scar over her left emerald eye. She was beautiful, and that was more than enough reason to walk around covered in Noxus.

"Now you reveal yourself." She challenged, taking a sip from her wine. Her lips turned into a smirk, she already seemed slightly intoxicated.

He pondered that for a while. How would she react to him? She probably would've a great many questions but he wouldn't have the answers. It would be good though to make some allies here in Noxus though.

"There's a reason." He answered, ending his reverie. "It's… it's how I look. You'll probably think I'm a weird."

"I can handle weird." She said gazing into the distance, clearly with someone in mind.

"I'm not human."

"Not human?" She chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "I'll see it when I believe it."

Sithiss looked around to confirm that no one was watching them and then pulled his hood slightly back to show the lower half of his face; a grey beak.

She laughed. "Who'd have thought? Family of Swain?"

"Swain? Who's that?"

"If you don't know who Swain is, you've lived under a rock." She put bluntly.

This time it was Sithiss who laughed. "Yeah in fact, somewhat."

He had woken up a couple of months ago in a tomb in Shurima. A woman named Sivir found him when she was raiding that tomb. The thing is though, he doesn't remember anything. He doesn't know why he was put away in that tomb, he doesn't know where he's from and he has no clue about the current state of the world; including Swain.

The bartender suddenly slammed his fist on the bar right before Sithiss. "You're wasting space. Buy something or get out!" He shouted in a pathetic display of power.

A couple of the other men in the inn looked up to see what was going on. This wasn't good, he didn't want to attract attention. Neither did the woman.

It struck him then what Noxians did care for; Strength. The avian would repay him in kind.

Sithiss slammed his fist on top of the bartender, crushing it beneath and placing the other hand over his mouth to avoid a scream. "You just keep fucking quiet." He sneered. "You're gonna let me be, understood?"

In defiance the bartender said nothing, but his eyes averted. "Good." Sithiss ventured. "Now give me a beer."

The woman next to him didn't even as much as flinch to Sithiss' show of power. She sat there ever so nonchalantly sipping her wine. They waited for his beer to arrive before continuing their conversation.

It was a great conversation, to Sithiss at least. They were somehow the same he felt. The both of them liked knives for example and they both had a knack for stealth. He didn't outright ask it, but he figured her to be an assassin and one of high rank at that. She was probably famous here in Noxus and just wanted to drink some booze on her own.

He learned a lot about Noxus during the conversation. It was a damnable city he thought, even though the woman spoke about it with a fiery passion. Swain turned out to be the grand general, the king if you will, of Noxus. She confirmed that the only thing Noxians cared for was strength in all its forms and that with that little display of power of his he'd got himself some respect.

She also told him that all Noxians were xenophobic and that he had to watch himself. "What about you?" He had asked. "Are you xenophobic?"

"I can stomach you." She had replied with a coy smile but she was wary with him around, he could tell.

In the end, they didn't exchange their names and just left after sharing a couple more drinks. She had wished him good luck in visiting Noxus, he would need.

Sithiss himself rented a room and was readying himself to spend the night there. He looked at himself in the mirror. His red eyes looked a tad hazy from the alcohol but his feathers seemed to be in better shape than they were when he had awakened. His feathers are a black, tingeing on the dark blue side. His throat, chest and stomach are a tad brighter in tone. They glistened beautifully now and he was proud to see his body in such a great shape.

He locked the door and dimmed the candle. He didn't want to bother now thinking about what to do the next day. Tomorrow would bring a new day, he'll figure it out on the fly.


	2. Rise and Fall

**Im gonna try to update more frequently :)**

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Azir looked at his city, how magnificent it had become. He had worked day and night creating every building from memory by rising them up from the sands, his now ascended form gave him the immense power to do so. The people would soon flock to his marvelous city, he was sure of it. Nasus would be proud to see how well he replicated the Shurima of old. And now it is finally done, ready to be inhabited.

Shurima was reborn.

There was one last thing he needed to do though, one last thing he needed to build; The Dais of Ascension. Shurima would surely have need of the Ascended once more in a time of great peril.

Then Azir remembered the past.

Xerath, his most trusted bondsman, betrayed him and took his place beneath the Sun Disc, becoming Ascended and effectively committing genocide. The people of Shurima turned into dust thanks to his betrayal. Azir still remembers the painful deaths they suffered, the horrified faces of his family right before they realized they would die.

He grasped for his heart, the memory became too much to bear.

"No!" He yelled to sky," This won't ever happen again!" He swore. Xerath would be punished; Azir would not rest until justice will be served.

Shurima _needed_ allies, his memory taught him that much. If Shurima would stand on its own again, it would only be a matter of time before a new power-hungry betrayer would stab him in the back.

But he knew nothing of Valoran in this time and had no idea where to look for allies in the first place. He would need counsel from his most trusted; Nasus and Sivir. In time, Shurima will become a city-state that could match the other city-states that make up Valoran, and then it would become so much greater.

Shurima will once again stretch the horizon, he was sure of it.

He will fight for it.

* * *

A full moon lit the roofs of the Noxian mansions. It was a rainy night, the kind of night that brought werewolves and vampires to your doorstep in fairy tales. Except now it brought a bird with money instead of blood on his mind.

Sithiss traversed the roofs of the mansions in the upper district, the giant skull-shaped mountain looming over him. He had spent a week living in the shadows thanks to Noxus' Xenophobic tendencies; he wanted out.

But to do that, he needed money.

Noxus' aristocracy was housed in mansions at the centre of the city. In the middle of it all stood a giant castle on top of a skull-shaped mountain; truly a magnificent site to behold. And as with any mansion, it housed the most powerful of all Noxus. These residences contained wealth beyond the common folk's imagination, and Sithiss knew just how to break into these.

Now the avian didn't care much for money, but he needed it and wasn't planning on working for it. He would just grab some quick gold and then get out of Noxus, he stayed here for over a week and hadn't gotten anything out of it yet.

He looked for allies but he couldn't find them, he looked knowledge but nobody taught him. The only thing he could do here was join the military, which he sure as hell wouldn't.

There was still much to learn about the Noxian people though, but he wanted to travel to Zaun and Piltover. Those places were the pinnacles of technological marvel or so he was told. He was incredibly curious about the present-day technology; he has only heard stories after all and seen an odd trinket here and there.

The avian was looking for an unguarded place to steal from, and found one soon enough. At least, it looked like there was nobody on outside and inside, and that was good enough. Sithiss climbed down from the roof on the balcony and picked the lock to what appeared to be an empty bedroom.

The first signs of wealth were immediately visible. Shiny marbles were haphazardly arranged almost everywhere he looked. In the tables, the chairs, even the bed itself was like it was made of money. Sithiss actually had to contain his laughter at the tasteless display of wealth before him.

Sithiss was interested though. He was curious about who lived here, how he obtained his wealth, what kind of life he led, what his position in the Noxian hierarchy was. He believed he could peer into the essence of the Noxian spirit by investigating this man's residence, whoever he was.

The man, who was named Henry Jiggfelt he soon learned, loved luxury to the extreme. As Sithiss scoured the house for valuable trinkets he found everything to be tastelessly composed. There was just a lot of silver and gold engraved in even the most mundane things, like teaspoons. Even the bath was made of the stuff.

The entire house was empty, which struck him as strange considering the amount of material wealth there was to be found here. Sithiss didn't look a gift horse in the mouth though.

There was a big portrait of this Jiggfelt and his family above the fireplace in the living room. The stern looking man must've been Jiggfelt together with his rather static looking wife and a shy looking son. It seemed out of place with the rest of the interior.

As Sithiss kept on wandering through the house he stumbled upon a locked a door.

Sithiss was overtaken by an immense sense of curiosity. Why was this door locked when all the others weren't? The man must've wanted to hide something really badly in there that he locked it. It could also be to prevent his son from entering surely, but Sithiss had to know.

The avian tried to pick the lock, but he failed. He tried for what seemed like an hour to no avail. Deciding against his better judgment, he kicked open the door with brute force. The door opened loudly with the hinges screaming bloody murder.

He found himself inside a study, with bookcases on the sides and a single desk at the middle of the room. As Sithiss walked up to the desk he saw reports and papers stacked orderly on the desk. This man had a job in the military or so it seemed. The reports were mainly about battles with Demacia and about exceptional individuals, both from Noxus and Demacia as well as other city-states.

Sithiss took out a few reports to glance at. The first had a picture that was clipped to it of a flamboyant looking man with giant Axes on his back. "Draven, The Glorious Executioner" It read. The man makes a spectacle of the executions he carries out. Another report told of a Silver haired woman with a tanned skin. "Riven, MIA." A capable woman who they lost in the battle against Ionia.

Then, he found a familiar face on one of the reports. The red-haired, green-eyed woman he had met the other day was staring at him with glaring eyes from the paper. "Katarina Du Couteau, The Sinister Blade." Sithiss wasn't surprised to find her here; she seemed like the military type. It told the story of how she got her scar, after which she was judged dutiful. Her loyalty however was in question, another name was written on the paper; "G. Crownguard."

After indulging himself in his nosiness and reading some more reports, he found one that especially piqued his interest. It was the report of "Jericho Swain, The Master Tactician." The report contained a letter. It immediately dawned to Sithiss that this specific letter was the one thing not meant to be found; a short letter, but with major implications. Sithiss got to reading.

_To G__eneral H.__ Jiggfelt, _

_I urge you to prepare with great haste, the plan will not be postponed as previously discussed. Swain will fall fortnight, you will then take his place as leader of our great city. I hope I have informed you adequately._

_-AD_

The avian's eyes glistened in the dark, he saw for himself an opportunity. There was no need to leave Noxus just yet.

If he ratted this man, this Henry Jiggfelt, he could gain invaluable allies here in Noxus. Having the most powerful people from the most powerful city-state as friends would be incredibly beneficial.

Suddenly, loud noise came from the main hall of the mansion, startling the Avian. Sithiss could hear a couple of men enter the place. They were well armed as evidenced by the clinking of metal. They spread quickly throughout the mansion in search for a certain burglar.

"Shit." He muttered under his breath. Someone from outside must've heard or seen him, or maybe breaking the door was actually loud enough to reach that far.

Sithiss grabbed both the reports of Swain and Katarina left the study.

The men got closer at a rapid pace. Sithiss ran back the way he came, lowering his hood over his head so he wouldn't be seen.

"There he is!" He heard a man shout behind him who was already in view. They were faster than he anticipated.

When he got to the bedroom where he entered via the balcony, he received a sudden blow to his face. He hadn't seen it coming in the dark.

His hood shoved back and revealed his face as he fell.

His assailant, a woman, widened her eyes in surprise. "… the fuck?" She muttered.

Sithiss jumped up and shoved the woman against the wall, sprinted towards the balcony and jumped towards the next building, effectively fleeing the guards that chased him.

He sprinted silently over the roofs without stopping for a good ten minutes before letting himself relax. He was sure that he couldn't be followed the way he traversed the roofs.

The avian made sure nobody would see him as he descended. Then he headed towards the inn he had rented a room since a week back. He slammed some money on the bar and stormed towards his room before the bartender could say anything.

He shut the door behind him, taking a couple of deep breaths before releasing the tension he had build up in his shoulders.

"Fuck…" Sithiss whispered. He was seen now, breaking into some important bloke's private residence would not give him the attention he wanted.

He needed to get the report he stole to this Swain. Not only will that clean his name, he would also be rewarded handsomely, he was sure of it.

For now, Sithiss would rest. They wouldn't find him here, not tonight anyway.


	3. Friends in High Places

**Just realized the summary was full of mistakes. Woops! Shows the power of proofreading doesn't it? **

**Enjoy^^**

* * *

"So, this is house Du Couteau?" Sithiss mused, then huffed.

The place was just as big as the Jiggfelt residence he visited earlier, not something that came as a surprise, considering Katarina's rank, but he had figured her less pompous.

It was thanks to the report he found out where she lived but finding the place turned out to be a different matter though. Noxus was big and the giant skull-shaped mountain in the middle of it did nothing to help Sithiss navigate the place.

It had taken him a full week to find her residence, a week in which his face became infamous among the aristocracy of Noxus. Wanted posters of the burglar found within the Jiggfelt residance were coloured the city, complete with Sithiss' feathered face. Jiggfelt promised a huge rewards for the one to bring Sithiss in, dead or alive. This however, had made the search for Katarina a lot harder; any shrouded man was now heavily scrutinized. Sithiss could only spend the nights searching, which was when the mansions were guarded the heaviest. He even had to brawl every now and then, but he always escaped easily.

Now that he found her house, he hesitated. She knew in fact who he was, they had met before after all. How would she react? She knew he stole from some big shot here in Noxus, but what was it to her?

There was only one way to find out.

The avian pressed on, entering the same way he did at Jiggfelt's residence; from the roof to the balcony. Picking the lock on the door, he stepped inside a dusty study. The study itself was arranged the same way as Henry's, except he was greeted by less gold an shiny marbles. The desk in the middle of the room was clear of any reports and papers, in fact the entire room looked as if it wasn't used in a long time.

Sithiss checked for any sounds. He knew her sister, Cassiopeia, might be home, or maybe even one of the servants. He had spent investigating her, and got to know her superficially. She was a skilled assassin, employed by the Noxian military to dispatch the highest priority targets. She succeeded were others failed.

The problem wouldn't be convincing her of Jiggfelt's treachery, he had the proof with him; it would be convincing her to listen to him before she tried to slice his throat. He wasn't afraid of her, but blood tended to be involved when assassins fought and he wanted to avoid that.

Sithiss didn't hear any sounds coming from within Katarina's residence, so he carefully opened the door.

The hallway was brightly lit; someone was home. The avian sneaked through the corridor, looking for the red-haired woman.

Katarina's residence was actually pretty tastefully decorated. It was fancy, sure. But it wasn't overdone in any way. It seemed empty somehow though, but Sithiss couldn't quite place his finger on it.

He found her in the living room eventually, were she lazily laid stretched out on a sofa. One hand covered her eyes and the other held a half-empty bottle containing an amber beverage; she had been drinking.

The room itself was a place, like a normal family lived there. The interior was mainly brown-colored. The fireplace gave a soft radiant glow as it flickered energetically. It all looked out of place in a city like Noxus.

Sithiss pulled off his hood, he hadn't really thought out how he would go on about this. He had of course broken into her house, something she wouldn't take lightly.

He sighed, here goes.

"You look worse for wear."

She immediately jumped up from the sofa, grabbing two daggers as she did. She spun around to take a striking stance.

Though, there wasn't much left of her combativeness; Right after she struck her fighting pose she stumbled and had to take a step or two to regain her balance. She was drunk.

She didn't as much as flinch when she saw who he was, but she couldn't quite contain her surprise.

"… the fuck?"

Sithiss smirked. "A hello would be appropriate here." She was so drunk; he didn't need to be afraid of any bloodshed so he could have a little bit of fun here.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, _bird_." She said, spitting out the last word venomously. So she knew what had transpired a week ago. Of course she did.

The avian chuckled. "Ah yes… Noxian hospitality, it brings a tea-"

Before he could finish his sentence she threw a dagger with incredible speed at him. He dodged it barely; he didn't expect her to be so quick and precise when she was as intoxicated as she was now.

She quickly threw another knife, one he had anticipated this time and dodged it nimbly. He needed to disarm her as soon as possible and made his way forward towards her.

He dodged another three but before he reached to tackle her, she took a step backwards. She however, lost her balance and tumbled down screaming against a chair. The bird chuckled in response, it looked rather comical.

He stretched out a hand to help her up. "I'm not here to hurt you." He spoke softly.

She raised her head numbly and he stared into her emerald eyes again. Then she slapped his hand away. "Fuck you."

"I mean it, I'm not here to fight. Just hear me out." Sithiss pleaded.

She was silent for a moment, then stood up and straightened her clothes. "What do you want from me?" She asked, the venom still in her voice.

As Sithiss reached for the two reports in his jacket, she readied one of her daggers again. "No quick movements." She ordered.

"Sure, whatever." He replied, slowly pulling the reports out of his jacket. He threw both hers and Swain's report lazily on the sofa.

Her forehead distorted into a frown. "Where the hell did you get these?"

Before Sithiss could answer though, she answered it for him. "Oh right, from Jiggfelt."

"And this is what I found." Sithiss nodded.

He watched her closely. She could be in league with Jiggfelt as well, he simply didn't know. So far her reaction had seemed genuine, there was no reason to not believe her.

"And now what? What do you want me to do with this?" She asked slowly. She seemed to have difficulty forming her sentences.

"Swain's report, you'll find something you'll be interested in it." He answered. "I took yours so I knew where you lived."

She dropped her dagger, apparently believing his sincerity, and opened Swain's report, finding the letter right away.

Her eyes rapidly run over the piece of paper. "What the hell?" She muttered, running a hand through her hair. "This can't be right, Swain and Jiggfelt are politically allied."

"Not for long they're not." Sithiss muttered jokingly.

She sighed. "This is no laughing matter… _bird_." She said, still spitting out the word 'bird' venomously. "This is about the future of Noxus."

"I'm gonna be honest with you… _girl._" Sithiss said, biting the last word just as she did. "I don't care for Noxus in the slightest, I'm expecting rewards when this is done."

She looked up at his red eyes, and then she chuckled. "You're more Noxian than you know." She mused.

"Maybe." He pondered. "So… what now?"

"We go to Swain."

Azir stood before the matter of breathing life into Shurima again, and succeeded.

It hadn't been an easy task, but he had accomplished it. Not only did the current-day Shurimans flock to his city, so did people from above the above The Great Barrier. The city still wasn't bustling with activity, but its geographical positioning made it interesting for traders to do business, and thus invited more and more people into the city.

Azir delivered, Shurima's people had it good. He was hailed as a great man, a great leader.

A great emperor.

With Shurima becoming a force to be reckoned with on the southern half of Valoran, the grey order, positioned in the Voodoo Lands just to the east of Shurima, had sought out contact with the newfound city-state. The order's leaders, Gregori Hastur and his wife Amoline, send their prodigal child, Annie, towards the city to make sure she reached her full potential. She would be better off under Nasus his care than they could possibly teach her. From now on, with the magical prowess that Shurima possessed, it would only be a matter of time before Shurima would not only become a greatest to do business, but also to study the magic arts.

Shurima breathed again. Changing the city had never been so easy since his ascension. The first sparks to light the city's fire were made.

"Impressive." Sivir noted as the two overlooked the city. They were standing on top of Azir's citadel, the place where he build his throne.

Azir showed her the city he had envisioned before his ascension. A bustling, free city. A place where everyone is free to be who he or she wants to be, and now it was done. There were no traditions he had to take into account before changing any law. His will was the law now, and it had all turned out for the better. "I must admit." Sivir continued. "I didn't think you could do it."

Looking down to the city filled them both with pride. For Azir, it was his lifework. Sivir simply felt she belonged. She felt a strange sensation whenever she thought of Azir, there may have been thousands of years between them, but they still were family.

"It requires passion child." Azir responded. "And patience."

She only huffed, which in turn irritated the emperor. Did she not understand what she saw before her? Did the magnificence of this city-state exceed her?

"You seem… doubtful." Azir tried. He wanted to know what she thought, they shared the same blood after all.

The woman bit her lip for a second looking for the right words. "The thing is Azir…" Sivir ventured. "You may have changed the land, but you can't change the people."

"They will change," Azir replied, then turned towards Sivir, "then Shurima will be whole agai-"

"_Your_ Shurima," Sivir interjected. "You live in the past Azir. It might've been better to travel a bit like Sithiss does now. You know, get to learn the people before subjecting them to your rule." She said sarcastically. The Shurimans didn't want an emperor to lead the way, they were fine on their own.

Azir was silent for a moment, but replied. "Harsh words, but you are young still my child. You will see."

She inhaled deeply, as to give up. "Whatever."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**If you enjoyed reading, please write a review. You'd make my day :)**


	4. The Highest Place of Noxus

**Sorry for this late chapter, had a deadline this week. :(**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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No grand entrance to the Noxian High Compound, just a simple gate embedded into the skull-shaped mountain guarded by two heavily armored soldiers. They stepped away as soon as they saw Katarina arrive together with her companion and simply nodded as they passed them. Even the shady figure Sithiss took was no problem with Katarina alongside him.

The inside of the compound was surprisingly simple. The cold grey stone relayed exactly the kind of things that were discussed here: war and death. The building mainly existed out of offices and meeting rooms, all which were bustling with activity. The place was filled with the vile and shady looking people Noxus was famous for.

After climbing a couple of stairs they entered the inner compound. It was immediately clear that this housed the higher-ups of the Noxian military, the place were obviously Swain would be seated. Things didn't go as smoothly as the Avian expected, before them stood another two guard. These were different than the ones he met before though; they looked higher in rank. They wore fancy crimson armor and their unorthodox weapons looked exceptionally well crafted.

"Miss Du Couteau?" One of them said sternly, crossing his arms arrogantly over one another. "You know you have no permission."

"You must make an exception." She pleaded. "It's important." The urgency was clear in her voice, but the man didn't even blink.

"You aren't your father." He replied. "So no entry."

One of her hands balled into a fist. "My father ain't here, I come on his behalf." She spoke, her voice tinged with anger. She seemingly didn't have the amount of influence as Sithiss initially thought.

"No entry." The guard affirmed.

She grumbled and turned around, tugging the avian along with her. Apparently she wasn't as high ranking as the report led him to believe. He could easily take on the guards though, but he wanted to hear her opinion first.

"Fuck this." She spoke softly, her aggression bottled up deeply. "We need to find another way in."

"I thought you bore more respect around here…" Sithiss jabbed.

"I did, until well…" She seemed hesitant to tell more. "Untill my father disappeared. I'm just an assassin you see, not a general. My father was a general. I could get away with a lot of stuff because of that." Her expression seemed rather pained when she mentioned her father, but there was no point on dwelling on it.

Sithiss ran a finger over his beak, as he always did when he mused. "Can't we just kill the guards?" he suggested.

She chuckled. "Feeling a little bloodthirsty _bird_?"

Sithiss hated to be called that; he was no bird, to be compared to creatures like chickens infuriated him. It would be the same if he called her a monkey.

"Don't call me that, I'm no bird." The avian responded.

She rolled her eyes, then continued. "We can't kill them. They are Crimson Elite, basically Noxian commandos, handpicked by Swain himself. Killing them wouldn't really put you in his favor."

"Can't we just knock them out?" Sithiss asked.

Her lips turned into a smug smile. "Well… can you?"

Up for the challenge, Sithiss turned around and stormed the stairs. Startled, Katarina followed him swiftly.

As soon as the Crimson Elite came into sight Sithiss charged forward. The men, with almost supernatural reflexes, grabbed their weapons and raised them towards their assailer.

When they tried to strike him their weapons shifted out of course due to some unseen force, giving the avian time to punch one of them square in the face. Katarina soon followed with a roundhouse kick on the other guard, effectively concluding the fight in a matter of seconds.

"… the fuck did you do there?" Katarina panted.

"Magic." Sithiss stated dryly before checking upon his victims. They dropped quickly, surprisingly so with Katarina's explanation of them. "Is this all the crimson elite has to offer?"

"Of course not." She muttered. "I bet they kill you in a fair fight." Before Sithiss could make a witty response she continued. "We need to be quick now before they find them, follow me."

The avian nodded. "Let's get this over with."

Katarina lead the way. The two sneaked skillfully past the other guards that accompanied the military big shots. Sithiss was impressed at the woman's skill, she knocked out any guards that were in the way with relative ease.

They soon reached Swain's office, which was surprisingly unguarded. Katarina lead the way and simply knocked on the door, and opened it when there was no response.

Inside was an old man sitting behind a desk in uttermost simple room. No grandeur, there was only a desk and a file-cabinet. The man himself, presumably Swain, had a Mohawk that branched off to the side of his head and was dressed in golden plated green robes. One his shoulder sat a small scowling bird. He was writing a letter it seemed, he had a feather dripped in ink in his hand.

His head shifted lazily as Katarina walked in. Dropping the feather whilst his red eyes gazed blankly at her. "Has no one ever taught you not to barge in somewhere unanswered?" He spoke with the most neutral voice the avian ever heard. Katarina motioned Sithiss to follow her and closed the door.

"An assassination attempt is it?" Swain joked emotionlessly. "I'd never expected it to be my office though." The man didn't even as much as flinch and looked at the pair with a measuring gaze. His face more like a mask than a thing of flesh and blood.

"Swain." Katarina began unceremoniously. "My companion here found evidence of a conspiracy against you." Her voice was thick with urgency, something the man immediately caught on to.

"Jiggfelt wishes to kill you, we brought proof." The red-haired woman stated. To which Sithiss uncovered Swain's report, laying it down before him on his desk.

He rose an eyebrow; a crack in his otherwise spotless façade. "Who'd have thought?" Came a soft reply.

Swain opened the report slowly, finding the letter right away. As his eyes went over the words the bird started to squeal angrily, as if it could understand what Swain was reading. When he finished reading he simply closed the report and let his hand rest on it. "I understand." He then stood up slowly.

Both his hands rested on his cane. Sithiss didn't understand were this trust came from, he knew he could kill the man if he wanted too. "I'd like to thank the both of you, Katarina and…"

"Sithiss." The avian filled in, pulling down his hood.

Swain hardly reacted to his appearance, and just went on undisturbed. "This matter will be dealt with." He said.

Swain pressed a button on his desk and started writing a new letter. With big letters he wrote "Darius" on the outside and sealed it. It took only a minute before someone presented himself; a small man, but quick on his feet. Swain handed him the letter and the guy left to deliver it.

Katarina crossed her arms. "So… what are you gonna do now?" she asked.

"Hmm…" His eyes twinkled murderously. "I think I'll send Jiggfelt to Draven, he'll show what happens when you cross me."

_Draven_, Sithiss saw his name earlier. _The glorious executioner. _No questions then, Jiggfelt would be killed soon enough.

Then Swain addressed Sithiss. "You must want something of me now don't you?" He said with a wry smile. "I'm only assuming you didn't do it out of the kindness of your heart."

"I have little to nothing; no home, no money, no connections, literally nothing. I need money and a place to live." The Avian began. "I have a proposal."

Swain's eyes widened, his interest was piqued. "Go on…"

"I am able when it comes to stealing, spying and assassination. I'll perform for you, but in return you give me what I want, when I want."

Sithiss still wasn't quite sure what would come of this. He couldn't trust this man though, he knew that much, but this would make Sithiss immediately a well-known force in Noxus, a force to be reckoned with. He would get what he wanted, that's what mattered. Besides, they couldn't force him to do anything he didn't want to, he simply was too strong.

Swain took a few seconds pondering the avian's proposal before answering. "I… accept." He finally said. "This deal will not be put on paper though. This will be purely verbal agreement and you will work directly under and only for me. In return I'll give you money, weapons, a home, connections and anything else you desire. I will assess your abilities with the first mission I will give you. Do you accept my terms?"

Katarina in the meanwhile just stared at the two men with widened eyes. How could Swain trust this bird so quickly?

"I accept your offer." Sithiss answered, and extended his feathery hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." Swain shook his hand. "Come find me later today in this office, I'll notify the guards. I have a job for you and we'll talk initial payment."

Sithiss hummed affirmatively. It was a weird thing; he just found a purpose for himself after being awakened by Sivir a couple of weeks ago. Yet he still wasn't sure whether or not this was a good thing.

Swain turned towards the red-haired woman. "As for you Katarina… I always believed in your loyalty. I thank you for proving my faith in you."

"You're too kind." She chuckled. "But I've a favor to ask in return for this." She shifted nervously from one leg to another.

Swain nodded, apparently immediately understanding where she was getting at. "I'll spare more men for finding information about your father."

Katarina sighed in relieve. "Thank you."

Then, Swain clapped his hands together to conclude their business. "Now, if the two of you would be so kind to leave, I have… matters to attend to."


	5. Passage

Xerath inspected the intricate motifs painted on the wall before him. He found himself inside the long-lost ruins of an old Shuriman building. The purpose of the building was unclear; it seemed like a house of learning, a place to study magic to be exact. The writing was unknown to the arcane being, which was strange. He should know, he has wandered this desert for a thousand years if not more.

In the centre of the wall was a blue ball depicted. Magical waves seemed to radiate out of, or rather, it emitted them. It seemed like a device to channel magic, but Xerath did not understand its use.

Interested, Xerath reached out with his mind to locate the device and found it soon enough. He went over to it to inspect it in greater detail.

The chamber itself was specifically built to house the blue radiant bulb, and looked strangely enough more like a conference room than anything else. The ball was surrounded by stone chairs facing towards it. Xerath gathered that the device was used for communication, hence the layout of the room.

Xerath extended his mind once again to see if there was anything invisible going in with the ball, but couldn't find anything strange with it. What was its purpose? He extended one of his limbs and touched the ball. As he did so, hazy mental images filled his mind.

He saw… an Avian._ He shakes hands with the grand general of Noxus. He awakens in a tomb here in Shurima. He sits in a bar. He travels towards Zaun He meets a goggled man in Morgron Pass. He watches an execution. He speaks with Azir. _

_Then he sees this exact Avian, black in color, touch this exact magical sphere, as if he is a key to the knowledge this object holds._

Then it stops.

The arcane being gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts. What just happened? One thing he did knew; he was intrigued, o so intrigued. Xerath thought he knew everything there was to know about Shurima, but then he found this.

The creature he saw must be alive now, in this time; he wouldn't be able to speak with the ascended Azir if he didn't. Xerath decided to find this bird, this Avian. Whatever secrets this device held, he would know it.

Xerath concentrated, this next piece of magery would require a lot of power. It was only because he was ascended that he could do this, any lesser being would faint, or even worse, die when they tried this.

There was only one way to communicate with this feathery being: through linking his mind with another powerful mage, and have him or her relay his message to him.

He expanded his consciousness until he found one that suited his needs. His mind scoured Noxus, Piltover and then Ionia.

He found someone; a woman.

A mental image appeared in the mind of the arcane being. The woman, with silver hair and purple glowing eyes was meditating on a floating chuck of rock in the sky. On top of this rock a temple was build, the place where she lived.

There were other mages around, but this one was powerful enough for a complete mental connection.

Satisfied, he closed his mind and stood once again in the conference chamber. He would contact her magically in a few days, but first he had other matters to attend to.

"Renekton." Xerath muttered.

Zaun. What a waste.

It looked like its people build houses, shat on them, burned them to the ground, then puked on them, then rebuild their houses and shat on them again. It was an absolute hellhole; Sithiss had never seen anything like it in his live.

It intrigued him though. The technology they had here was on such a higher level than he understood, he just had to know. There were screens marketing all sorts of weird products, people wearing prosthetics and even cars riding around. All of that shrouded by a thick smog that made it hard to breathe.

Screw Swain, he wanted to stay here a little while longer.

Sithiss wanted to approach Zaun just like he did with Noxus; get straight to the top. Zaun though, didn't have any sort of central authority. It was all just business and science without any political direction, except for a gigantic military division. It turned out Noxus got most of its weapons from Zaun.

The bird wandered around, occasionally coughing, to get a sense of Zaun's people. He only listened; hearing the bustle of the street, but also the whispers that hid underneath.

"Have you heard about the Piltie?"

"The one that died in the slums?"

Big news apparently. He heard this little dialogue rather frequently.

Piltie. They must be talking about a man from Piltover, a rivaling city-state. If Sithiss recalls correctly, Piltover is allied to Demacia, which are then again sworn enemies of both Noxus and Zaun. Sithiss felt strange, the world felt somehow big to him.

Was his previous life rather sheltered?

He didn't know.

The avian looked in the distance; gigantic factories filled the horizon. Massive columns of smoke rising from then. He then realized how long he had been outside, breathing in the smoke that permeated the air like a cancer, and suddenly felt sick. He decided to go inside an inn to give himself a breather.

He was supposed to meet Katarina tomorrow; she should've finished her 'business' by then. He didn't feel like it though. They will leave together for Ionia and he wanted none of it, not until his curiosity about Zaun was satisfied.

Sithiss decided to investigate the murdered Piltie, hopefully he could learn more about his new supposed 'enemies.' He was expected to be loyal to Noxus, but he didn't care. Better to learn more about everything before making big decisions.

He asked the bartender for directions and got them fairly easily. Before he ventured off towards the slums he got himself a mask against the smog from one of the market stalls. Nothing of course really did fit his beak, but he pulled it over his nose holes. He dared not look in a mirror; he would surely look silly like this. He pulled his hood closer over his head and went on his way.

"Shurima can't hold on its own against city-states like Noxus and Zaun, I'm telling you!" Sivir shouted. "Noxus _will _lash out, the Rakkor _will _fight us and Xerath _will _try to kill you. How are you not getting this?"

"Hush my child." Azir spoke. "I'm not saying we can't make allies. But Shurima must remain independent. No concessions."

He and Sivir have been squabbling for a while now. Azir quite often felt how painfully he was distanced from the present-day world, especially when conversing with Sivir. He trusted Nasus and Sivir's judgment more than his pride found comfortable. He would learn though, he has all the time in the world now anyway.

They were sitting in a conference room in Azir's citadel. They do that every so often to discuss the future of Shurima where Sivir's knowledge and Nasus' wisdom aided Azir in ruling his city.

"Sivir is right my emperor." Nasus spoke. "Shurima can handle itself, but not when multiple city-states attack at once."

Azir was silent for a bit. He contemplated his possibilities. He could reach out to Demacia, but they might try to jam their sense of justice down his throat. Bandle city was also an option, but were the yordle's strong enough to be any form of real assistance? He doubted it.

Another was option to reach out to the direct threats: Bilgewater and Noxus. Bilgewater seemed like it only cared for money, and Noxus only cared for strength. Could he make an alliance with them? It seemed unlikely.

Piltover, Zaun, Ionia and the Freljord were all too far away to be of any significant military assistance in case of an emergency. The Southern half of Valoran was too full of danger than at any moment help was needed.

Azir sighed. "What about Demacia?" He felt defeated.

"They are all wacko's." Sivir replied. "But they're honest people. They got a huge military."

Nasus nodded. "It is our best bet. Also, there is a yorlde embassy in Demacia. I can go there and contact both factions at once."

Azir thought about it.

"Alright then. Nasus, I'm sending you to broker an alliance. Make sure their borders are open for trade and that their city-state helps us out in emergencies. In return, we will do the same for them."

Nasus smiled. "As you will my emperor."

The avian stood up and clapped his hands together. "Meeting is over, you are both dismissed."

Nasus went out to prepare himself for the journey, Sivir returned to her duties and Azir went to his bedroom. He threw open the windows to his balcony and gazed upon his city.

Shurima had enjoyed exponential growth and was already well equipped to deal with almost all stresses from the wastes around it. Sivir and her mercenaries became part of the cities guard with Sivir being the captain of it. Various mages collected in the Tower of Magery, the trade district was always bustling with activity, hospitals were fully running and even Azir's citadel was fully staffed. It still amazed Azir how quickly the city had grown.

Shurima still lacked a military though, and that was a problem.

It could be easily solved by conscription, but Azir didn't like the idea of putting his people to the sword. He decided he wanted to see first how many would show up on a voluntary basis before making any rash decisions.

If Noxus really was as dangerous as he was led to believe, he needed a military as soon as possible.

Azir couldn't help but feel uneasy.


End file.
